Career and Education Opportunities for Survey Technicians in Kansas

Kansas has a population of 2,818,747, which has grown by 4.85% over the past decade. Nicknamed the "Sunflower State," its capital is Topeka, though its largest city is Wichita.

The national trend for survey technicians sees this job pool growing by about 20.4% over the next eight years. Survey technicians generally adjust and operate surveying instruments, such as the theodolite and electronic distance-measuring equipment, and compile notes, make sketches and enter data into computers.

Survey technicians earn about $14 per hour or $29,250 yearly on average in Kansas and about $16 per hour or $35,120 annually on average nationally. Earnings for survey technicians are not quite as good as earnings in the general category of Surveying in Kansas and not quite as good as general Surveying category earnings nationally. People working as survey technicians can fill a number of jobs, such as: transit worker, compass operator, and geophysical party chief.

In 2008, there were a total of 1,875,134 jobs in Kansas. The average annual income was $38,886 in 2008, up from $37,414 the previous year. The unemployment rate in Kansas was 6.7% in 2009, which has grown by 2.3% since the previous year. About 25.8% of Kansas residents have college degrees, which is higher than the national average.

The top industries in Kansas include machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers, mineral wool manufacturing, and medical laboratories. Notable tourist attractions include the Allen, the Great Plains Nature Center, and the Great Plains Transportation Museum.

CITIES WITH Survey Technician OPPORTUNITIES IN Kansas

JOB DESCRIPTION: Survey Technician

Survey Technician video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, survey technicians adjust and operate surveying instruments, such as the theodolite and electronic distance-measuring equipment, and compile notes, make sketches and enter data into computers.

Every day, survey technicians are expected to be able to listen to and understand others in meetings. They need to see details at a very fine level of focus. It is also important that they articulate ideas and problems.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Kansas include:

Cartographer. Collect, analyze, and interpret geographic information provided by geodetic surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite data. Research, study, and prepare maps and other spatial data in digital or graphic form for legal, social, and design purposes. May work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). May design and evaluate algorithms, data structures, and user interfaces for GIS and mapping systems.

Civil Draftsman. Prepare drawings and topographical and relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, pipelines, flood control projects, and water and sewerage control systems.

Equipment Engineering Technician. Apply electrical theory and related knowledge to test and modify developmental or operational electrical machinery and electrical control equipment and circuitry in industrial or commercial plants and laboratories. Usually work under direction of engineering staff.

Surveying Technician. Calculate mapmaking information from field notes, and draw and verify accuracy of topographical maps.

Surveyor. Make exact measurements and determine property boundaries. Provide data relevant to the shape, contour, or dimension of land or land features on or near the earth's surface for engineering, mapmaking, and other purposes.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Kansas

Kansas photo by Edwin Olson

Kansas has a population of 2,818,747, which has grown by 4.85% over the past 10 years. Nicknamed the "Sunflower State," its capital is Topeka, though its biggest city is Wichita. In 2008, there were a total of 1,875,134 jobs in Kansas. The average annual income was $38,886 in 2008, up from $37,414 in 2007. The unemployment rate in Kansas was 6.7% in 2009, which has grown by 2.3% since the previous year. Approximately 25.8% of Kansas residents have college degrees, which is higher than the national average.

The top industries in Kansas include machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers, mineral wool manufacturing, and medical laboratories. Notable tourist destinations include the Exploration Place, the Indian Center Museum & Gift Shop, and the Great Plains Nature Center.